MEA on Twitter

MEA on Facebook

Event Calendar

Gov. Snyder’s education cuts worse than reported for many school districts

Posted on 04/12/11 at 12:55pm

Dozens of districts face cuts greater than $1,000 per pupil

Nearly 200 Michigan school districts face cuts greater than $500 per student under Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposed budget, according to the non-partisan House Fiscal Agency.

The $470 per-pupil cut commonly referenced by politicians and the news media is just the tip of the iceberg, according to the House Fiscal Agency. That oft-reported figure relates to the foundation allowance, but Snyder’s budget cuts go beyond that to slash millions of dollars in critical education programs, including dropout prevention programs, special education funds, isolated and rural school grants, declining enrollment funds and various payments to equalize inequities caused by the implementation of Proposal A.

Combined with a $1 billion tax increase on senior citizens’ pensions, the cuts to education would help pay for a massive tax break for large corporations, according to Snyder’s budget proposal.

“Slashing our children’s education to pay for tax cuts for big banks, oil companies and other large corporate special interests is a clear sign of misplaced priorities,” said Iris K. Salters, president of the Michigan Education Association. “That may be Governor Snyder’s definition of ‘shared sacrifice,’ but it’s not ours. Instead of mortgaging our kids’ futures to help big corporations, we need real, balanced solutions to fund Michigan’s priorities.”

According to the House Fiscal Agency’s report, 171 public school districts serving 356,582 students face cuts greater than $500 per pupil. They are as follows: